


Discover Me

by queenmayie



Category: The Dark Artifices Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Gen, Modern Era, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 03:17:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17418020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenmayie/pseuds/queenmayie
Summary: Emma loves art although she cannot make one. As a woman who’s free to do what she wants and have the money to spare having inherited a big sum of money from her parents and owning a company that sells firearms and ammunition, one day, Emma just decided to have a break from her hectic schedule to travel and explore the world to collect antique figures and paintings.Julian is a renowned artist. He is known in the world as the painter who paints emotions on canvas. Girls fall at his feet, but what they didn’t know is that Julian never quite found a woman who could make him feel something. He is constantly looking for a connection to someone and it seems that it will never arrive.----***Modern Era AU***





	1. Chapter 1

“Hello, my long-awaited adventure!” Emma shouted excitedly before boarding the airplane which earned a handful of strangers looking strangely at her. She didn’t care. She’d been waiting to meet artists all over the world and now, having cleared her hectic schedule since she decided to put up a business of selling firearms and ammunitions, she’s gonna travel the world to meet all of them.

“Here I come, London!” She shouted again before finally boarding the airplane. 

She’s way too excited to mind the passengers looking at her like she’s crazy. It is the first time she’s actually attending the art exhibit of her favorite artist, which is known for painting emotions on canvas. Nobody knows what the artist’s gender is, since the artist never attended his/her own art exhibit. She’s just wishing she could at least buy one painting because even though the artist is very well alive, his/her art pieces are extremely pricey because of the high demand from his/her fans. There are actually reports of people stealing his/her art which aren’t for-sale because her favorite artist is just that awesome.

After this long vacation, Emma would need to be back on his daily routine of tending customers in her store again, but before all of that, she’s gonna enjoy herself like there’s no tomorrow.

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Emma is staring at the painting that showcased a girl tearing up while she covers her face with her hands, thorns are sprawled all over her hands and were bleeding, blood mixing with her tears as it streaked down her face, the painting screamed of agony even though you couldn’t see the woman’s expression, as if her anguish were engraved in every brush of colors on the canvas, if only she could touch the painting, she would have but she is in an art exhibit and touching the painting is a definite no-go. Instead, she hadn’t left the painting since she saw it, staring at it longer than anyone should use to.

“You’ll tear a hole in it, you know.” Said an unfamiliar voice from her back. 

She turned and nearly swallowed hard when he saw a tall man with brown curly hair and luminous blue-green eyes standing there, also looking at the painting. He turned at her and he gave her a small smile which made her heart jump a little. 

“What?” She said a little dumbfoundedly. She nearly cursed herself when he laughed because, oh boy, isn’t he attractive. Emma is a girl who never doubts on what she wants because that is how she always is, and this man over here might be one of them, it was an instant attraction. 

“You’re staring at the painting like you want to steal it.” He said, bringing her out on her stupor. 

She cleared her throat and jokingly said, “I might steal it, I heard this is the only painting here that isn’t for sale.” 

“Hmm, that would be a problem, you just told me your plan and there’s no way I’ll let you succeed.” He teasingly said. 

She turned her attention to the painting again, “It is beautiful. I understand why the artist doesn’t want to sell it.” 

She felt him move to be beside her, they were both staring at the painting now. 

“The artist is tempted, there have been a lot of offers in the past hour since the exhibit opened.” 

She looked at him and saw the amusement and bitterness in his expression that had been gone for an instant when he also turned to look at her and smiled sweetly. 

“You know the artist?” she asked excitedly. 

“I do.” He answered shortly and looked at the painting again. 

“Well, can you introduce me to him/her? If you don’t mind, of course. I’m Emma, by the way.” She said offering her arm for a handshake. 

“Julian,” he said with a calm smile. 

He raised his hand and shake hers gently. She felt a small jolt in his slight touch, she looked at his face to search if he felt the same thing and was disappointed when she thought he didn’t. 

“So, the artist came to the exhibit today? People said the artist never really shows up on days like this so only the avid fans know the artist’s face. I suppose you’re one of them.” 

“I’m not really his fan.” He said, smiling, still staring at the painting. 

She looked at him questioningly, “Then why are you here?” 

“I don’t know, I never really show up on my exhibits, it’s actually my first.” 

“Oh, is that—wait! Are you the artist?! Are you kidding me?” 

He smiled comically, “You don’t believe me?” 

“You’re too young to be him!” 

He laughed a little loudly that some of the people around them glanced, “A renowned painter can’t be young?” 

“He’d been famous for more than a decade. You look like you’re in your middle twenties, can you blame me?” 

“I started painting when I was five. And sold an art piece for the first time when I was eight.” He said patiently. 

“Are you absolutely sure?” She asked looking at him now with overwhelming excitement. 

He only laughed and shake his head. “I’ll see you around Emma. I need to meet someone. You’ll find out later if I’m telling the truth.” He said then he left. Leaving her stunned.

 

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Hi, people. This chapter is quite short. Hope you liked it, though.

Feedbacks would be highly appreciated. :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma's bluntness shocked the poor virgin artist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, sorry for the short chapters. I will try to make the other chapter after this longer. Please bear with me if there are grammar and spelling mistakes, I don't have time to proofread it. Thank you for reading!

Determined to find Julian again and ask him if he really was the artist, Emma explored the whole venue to look for him, but to no avail, it seemed like he disappeared in thin air.

“Where the heck did he go?” Emma asked herself.

“May I have your attention, ladies and gentlemen?” Emma turned to the center of the venue where the organizer of the event spoke. “I am pleased to inform you, that our artist, Thorne Black, is attending his exhibit for the first time in his career! In fact, the person who is standing beside you might already be him, and to clear all the air about our artist’s gender after speculating for less than two decades about it, he allowed me to clarify that he is indeed a male, as most of you suspect.” As soon as the organizer said that the artist is in the venue, people started talking excitedly and exclaiming things like wanting to meet him. “But sadly, as our artist is a little shy and all, he would not formally show his face right now. But I assure you that he really is here and expressing his gratitude for your continuing support and love for his art. Let’s continue appreciating his artistry, shall we?” The organizer bowed and step out of the center of the venue.

Emma’s heart is pounding so hard due to her excitement and joy. Who wouldn’t? This only mean that Julian was really telling the truth! And also, the truth that she just spoke with her favorite artist of all time!

“Do you believe me now?” Emma quickly turned to the person who whispered close to her left ear and nearly stumbled when he saw that Julian is standing close to her with a calm yet teasing smile.

“Is this for real?” She asked him while still wandering how can she be so lucky to meet the mysterious artist face-to-face when a lot of people say that getting struck by a lightning was much easier than meeting him.

“I even revealed my gender for you to believe me.” He said quietly, clearly only teasing her. It was already speculated even before the art exhibit opening that the artist would reveal something about himself.

“I really thought my favorite artist will likely be in his forties.” She said, clearly rambling because she feels lightheaded with the excitement she was feeling in the moment.  
Julian laughed softly. “Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Then, will you have coffee with me?” Emma asked, which earned a slightly shocked looked from Julian who is clearly surprised on her bluntness. It was her turn to laugh, Emma always had that reaction from guys when she started becoming vocal about her attraction or interest in them. She is after all the type of woman who hates beating around the bush, when she likes something or someone, she would not just stand there and wait for something to happen. Emma likes being in control of the situation and she love creating opportunities to be a little step closer to what she wants.

Emma smiled when Julian suddenly blushed after looking shocked for a couple of minutes. This adorable little shit, who would thought he could paint agony with a brush when he looked so alive and endearing and everything that is nice in the world but despair?

Emma decided to tease him. “What? Just because you’re a renowned artist, you’re going to turn me down?”

Julian looked affronted by her accusation and violently shake his head. “Of course, I would love to have coffee with you, I was just shocked.”

“Why would you be?” Emma asked with a knotted forehead.

“You’re beautiful.”

Emma’s heart jumped at his sudden compliment. Emma had always known that she is a beautiful woman, and she often use it to her advantage. She often hears it from everyone too, but dismissed it immediately because it was a given. Hearing it said so sincerely surprisingly made her heart a little soft. “Oh come on. Who wouldn’t want to go out with the artist everyone wants to meet? And darling, frankly, have you not seen yourself at the mirror?”

The butterflies in her stomache suddenly danced when he saw him blush even harder at her bluntness. His bashfulness just fueled her attraction to him. Emma wonders if Julian is just naturally shy or just doesn’t have all that much experience with girls. Ah, it looks like I won’t leave London for a while, she thought.

Julian cleared his throat. “Do you want to have coffee with me just because I’m a renowned painter?” He asked without malice in his voice, just pure curiosity.

“Can I be honest with you?”

“Of course.”

“Well, one of the reason why I want to have coffee with you is, well, you’re a renowned artist,” when she saw disappointment in his eyes, she quickly continued, “I can see you now, a tall man, with beautiful luminous eyes, but beyond your appearance which is pleasant, mind you,” he blushed at that which made her chuckle, “I want to know you more. I want to know what kind of person can draw so much emotions. So, will you let me?”

Julian smiled a calm smile although he was still blushing so hard. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you? I like that. I also would like to know you more, Emma.”

She didn’t know that this was the conversation that would make her stay in London indefinitely. Fuck her schedule to travel the world, the art piece she found in here is worth the stay.


End file.
